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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28363617">The Bug Knight of Paris</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/summersa74/pseuds/summersa74'>summersa74</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Biological Parent Bruce Wayne, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Maribat Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:34:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,161</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28363617</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/summersa74/pseuds/summersa74</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A school assignment leads to a bonus family she didn't know she wanted and a support network she didn't know she needed.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>265</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Me:  You have a fic that's been staring you in the face for months.</p>
<p>Also me:  Bruce Wayne being Marinette's father is a cool idea.</p>
<p>Prompts generally follow the order of Maribat Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bruce Wayne smiled to himself as he walked into the bar at the Wayne Hotel. The staff was in a good mood after another successful convention. The bartender turned around with a soda as Bruce took a seat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thanks, Sam. What was this convention again?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Bakers, Mr. Wayne.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bruce looked around the room. There were a few groups at some tables finalizing some business deals, and a couple around his age… a pretty Chinese woman with a giant of a man talking and giggling in hushed French. Bruce grabbed his drink and walked around introducing himself to the guests. As he approached the couple, he noticed a mischievous glint in the woman’s gray eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good evening. My name is Bruce. Are you enjoying your stay at the hotel?” he asked the couple.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The woman smiled and nodded. “Sabine Cheng. The hotel is lovely. This is my husband, Tom Dupain.” The big man stuck out his hand. “We don’t get many trips away from home, so this has been relaxing.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bruce found himself losing track of time thanks to the couple’s open and friendly nature. He learned they ran an up and coming bakery in Paris, and the trip was a gift for the couple’s recent fifth anniversary.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Bruce returned to the table with fresh drinks, he caught the tail end of a hushed conversation. “<em>Nous n'avons presque plus de temps. Demande lui.” *  </em>He hoped they weren’t going to ask him for money. He didn’t think they were that kind of people. They didn’t even seem like they recognized him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sabine cleared her throat. “Bruce? My husband and I have been...what’s the word? Adventurous. Yes. You could say we have been adventurous in certain parts of our lives. We are going to settle down and start a family after we go home, and we’d like you to be a part of our last adventure.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Well. That is a surprise. Oh, what the hell. It’s been a while. </em>“You know, I think I’d like that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tom and Sabine kept in touch with Bruce over the years. He was overjoyed when Marinette arrived. That adorable little girl was going to be spoiled by her godfather. Tom and Sabine finally had to put their feet down and make Bruce tone it down on his gifts. They settled on educational materials and a college fund.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette always looked forward to visits from her Uncle Bruce. He always brought something new for her. When she entered school, she discovered she had a talent for languages. Besides French, she was already fluent in Cantonese, English, and Italian. Once she met Nino and Kim, she added Arabic and Vietnamese to that list.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Her last year of middle school was a tumultuous one. Thanks to a strange box on her desk the first day of school, she took up the mantle of Ladybug. The miraculous came with a new friend and guiding voice in Tikki, and a wonderfully silly partner in Chat Noir. The next day, lighting struck and she met the love of her life, Adrien Agreste. She overheard Adrien telling Nino about his Mandarin lessons, and resolved to make that her next language. Fortunately for her crushing heart, she wasn’t fluent enough when her great uncle came to town.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That year had some bad times, too. With some exceptions, akuma fights were always a little scary. Lila Rossi showed up with her lies and put a strain on her friendships. Those seemed to be improving again, though. The liar was finally out of her hair. After a very public akumatization, she disappeared again. It was almost like a switch was flipped. Alone, or in groups, her classmates had approached her and apologized for how they had treated her. Chloe was even making an effort to be better. Therapy had done wonders for her. Marinette wouldn’t say they were friends yet, but they were getting there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her relationship issues weren’t any better, though. She had honestly tried with Luka. He was so sweet when he supported her through the stress of becoming the Guardian and the pain of Adrien’s new relationship with Kagami. After a few dates with the guitarist, though, they both realized they didn’t really work as a couple. She still counted him among her best friends, though.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Two weeks later, Marinette was taking a breather after finishing her homework for the day. There were some new prints at the fabric store and her sketchbook was starting to call her name. She had just put the finishing touches on a new skirt design when there was a knock at her trap door. “Come in, Alya,” she said expecting her best friend. A different friend poked her head through the door, though.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good afternoon, Marinette,” Kagami said as she balanced a plate of cookies and a drink carrier. “I brought juice and your mother sent up some snacks.” The two girls enjoyed their snacks in semi-comfortable silence for a few minutes until Marinette decided to address the elephant in the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not that I’m complaining, or that I don’t appreciate your company, but what brings you here? I mean, our hangouts are normally planned in advance.” Marinette was thankful their friendship wasn’t too awkward when Kagami and Adrien started dating. The Japanese girl’s obvious need for friends outweighed any jealous feelings Marinette could muster.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kagami took a deep breath. “I owe you an apology. More than one, really.” Marinette started to reply, but Kagami held up a hand. “Please, Marinette, let me finish. I know it must have hurt you deeply when I started dating Adrien, and for that I’m truly sorry. Especially after your heartbreak wasn’t necessary.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But you two were so good together when we escaped the party, I didn’t see much of a choice. It was much safer that way.” At Kagami’s confused look, she swallowed the lump in her throat and continued. “I would much rather deal with a broken heart and stay friends with both of you, than break your heart and wind up losing you both if things didn’t work out with Adrien.” Her composure finally broke. “I can’t help but put other people’s happiness before my own, especially his.”<br/><br/></p>
<p>Kagami slid over on the chaise to wrap Marinette in a one-armed hug. “And that’s why you’re a better person and friend than I could ever hope to be. But your broken heart wasn’t necessary because Adrien and I broke up..”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette got her sniffles under control. “What? Why?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kagami gave a mirthless chuckle. “You said you and Luka broke up because you were <em>too </em>much alike. There was no balance. Adrien and I are much the same. We share a connection that can make for a lasting friendship, but not a good relationship. That brings my to my second apology.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“While we agreed to remain on good terms, we did have a little bit of a fight. I got him to admit he has feelings for you, but in doing so, I outed your crush on him.” Marinette stiffened and Kagami released her hug. “It was not my place to do so. You deserved to tell him yourself. If you want to throw me out and stop being my friend, I understand.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was Marinette’s turn to provide a hug. “It will take more than that to ruin our friendship. I’m not exactly thrilled you told him, but I get it. It’s high time I came clean, anyway.” At Kagami’s look, she continued. “You don’t have to worry about me throwing myself at him or anything like that. My time with Luka proved I’m not really ready for a relationship, and that’s what I plan on telling him.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Marinette walked Kagami to the door, she knew one thing. School was going to be interesting tomorrow.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>School turned out to be surprisingly normal up until the bell rang to signal the start of the lunch break. As she was packing up her books, Adrien turned around in his seat. “Mind if I join you for lunch Marinette? I’d really like to talk to you about something.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette did her best to ignore Alya’s excited squeal. “Sure. I was about to ask you the same thing.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sabine looked up as they entered the bakery. “Adrien! It’s been far too long. You kids take whatever you want and head upstairs.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They ate together in comfortable silence until Adrien finally spoke up. “So, Marinette. Did Kagami talk to you yesterday?” She nodded. “How much did she tell you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette set her sandwich down. “She said you admitted your feelings for me and told you about my feelings for you. I know you’ve asked me before, and I denied them, but that wasn’t the truth. I have an embarrassingly large crush on you. I might even be in love with you.” She said it! It was easy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Adrien looked at her with a pink tinge to his cheeks. “Can I ask when this started? Because for the longest time, I thought you hated me for the gum incident.” She gave him the saddest smile he’d ever seen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, Adrien, I never <em>hated</em> you. I did think you were another rich brat like Chloe for all of one day. Then you gave me your umbrella. You went out of your way to show kindness to someone who was nothing but a bitch to you. It was like lightning struck. I tried so hard so many times to tell you, but it never went right.” He reached out and grabbed her hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m not sure when I developed feelings for you. Maybe it was when we hid from my fans, or when we danced at Chloe’s party. I know I told you about a girl that day at the museum. You share so many of the same qualities that I was worried I was projecting my feelings onto you.” Marinette opened her mouth to respond, but he pressed on. “And that other girl wasn’t Kagami. She’s someone I work with occasionally, but I’ve come to the understanding that we wouldn’t really work as a couple.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette took a shaky breath. “I’m glad we’re on the same page…” “But?” “But we shouldn’t rush in to anything for two reasons. It wouldn’t be fair to Kagami or Luka. And I’m not really sure I’m ready for a relationship right now. I spent so much time trying to get your attention, I never really spent the time to figure out who Marinette is.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He gave her hand a squeeze. “You’ve always had my attention. I don’t think I’m quite ready, either, but I’m going to make you a promise. You’ll be the first to know when I am. And as proof of how serious I am…” He leaned over the table and pressed a feather light kiss to her lips.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Kids, you’re going to be late.” The two red-faced teens broke apart to see Sabine standing in the doorway. The pair rushed through the rest of their lunch.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re sure?” Alya asked over the group video chat with the girls. Marinette had given them the brief rundown of her lunch with Adrien.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sure. While I’m still not thrilled with my hand being forced like it was, it’s liberating to have my feelings out in the open.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s so romantic!” Rose cried as the girls started to sign off. Juleka was the last one to leave the chat. “Thank you for being considerate of Luka. I know he took the breakup well, but he was still hurting.”<br/><br/></p>
<p>“I really tried to give him an honest chance.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know you did, and so does he. Bye, Marinette.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She closed her chat app just as Sabine called her for dinner. As she sat down at the table, she could tell by the mischievous gleam in Sabine’s eyes that she was in trouble. “So, care to tell us about that kiss I walked in on?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“A kiss?” Tom said with heart eyes. She knew she had to get out in front of this before another awkward disaster of a brunch. So for the second time that evening, she replayed her conversation with Adrien.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“As long as you’re both happy,” Tom said. “I just don’t want you getting hurt.” Marinette shook her head as she swallowed. “Don’t worry, Papa. I think we prevented any more misunderstandings that could hurt us in the future.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sabine took that as her cue to chime in. “For what it’s worth, sweetie, I think you’re both being very mature about all of this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Tom was bringing out the dessert, Marinette remembered one of her assignments from that day. “Oh, I almost forgot. We’re starting our genetics unit in science, and the school gave us a home DNA test to do, and the teacher said I’ll need your permission to send it in.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She didn’t miss the looks her parents gave each other. Tom spoke first. “I guess it’s time. Go ahead and take it, honey. There’s a chance the results might not be what you expect.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sabine took over. “This is going to be awkward. What your father’s trying to say, dear, is that he may not be your father.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?!? How?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Um. When we were younger, we had a wild side to our relationship.” To Sabine’s relief, Marinette’s red face said she caught the innuendo. “Okay. I get it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The last time it happened, we were in America for a baking convention. We started trying for you when we got home, but the timing’s about right.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette shot up from the table, and her parents worried she was about to freak out, but Marinette ran around the table and tackled Tom in as much of a bear hug as she could give the large man. “No matter what the test says, you’ll always be my Papa. I love you guys, and nothing will change that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After coming down from the emotional roller coaster, and a few rounds of Mecha Strike, Marinette was decompressing in her room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m really proud of you, Marinette.” Tikki flew up to her face. “I heard your after dinner conversation. Today was a big day, emotionally speaking, and you handled everything wonderfully.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thanks, Tikki. I’d love to talk about it more, but I’m exhausted after all that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tikki swooped up to kiss her forehead. “Sweet dreams.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>A few days later and thousands of miles away, an alert flashed on a computer. The young woman monitoring some gang communications nearly choked on her coffee as she hit a button on her console.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s up, Babs?” Tim Drake answered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Come down to the cave. We have a situation.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How bad?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Remember the Junior Protocol? We just got a hit.”</p>
<p>Tim groaned. He loved Damian. He really did, but the last thing they needed was another demon spawn running around. “Want me to bring B with me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Might as well, he’ll need to know eventually, right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Five minutes later Tim brought a confused Bruce Wayne into the Batcave. “What’s going on?” the older man asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tim decided to go first. “After we found Damian, I thought it would be a good idea to flag the system for your DNA in case there was another Wayne running around out there.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Barbara picked up from there. “We just got a hit from one of your labs in Paris. There’s a 99% chance you have another child.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bruce gave a resigned sigh. People already thought he had a problem. “What’s her name?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Barbara didn’t know how Bruce would respond to the news of another child, but she wasn’t expecting him to burst into laughter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We don’t have to worry about another Damian,” he said wiping tears from his eyes. “Try to find a picture.” While Barbara went to work, he continued. “You know the family I visit when I’m in Paris? This is them.  She's the sweetest kid I've ever met.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tim slapped Bruce on the back. “Congratulations. It’s a girl.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wow, she’s already going places.” Barbara pointed at the image of Metal Lourd magazine she pulled up. Marinette graced the cover with Jagged Stone. “She’s barely 15 and she’s already the personal designer of a rock star.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tim looked close. The jet black hair and bright blue eyes left little doubt in his mind. “Want me to have the jet warmed up?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bruce was still staring at the picture. “When will she get the results?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“In about a week, give or take a few days.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bruce shook his head and turned toward the elevator. “I’m taking Diana to Paris for the opening of the Gotham Art exhibit at the Louvre next week anyway.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Selina and the kids were never going to let him live it down.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>*We are almost out of time. Ask him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Meeting (Again) for the First Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some friends meet the rich uncle, and Marinette's family just got a whole lot bigger</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinette spent the next week and a half trying not to think of what she would learn from her DNA test. Adrien provided a welcome distraction. The two were nearly inseparable. Adrien even ate dinner with the Dupain-Chengs a couple of times under the guise of a group project. At one point, Alya pulled Marinette aside to ask if she was sure they weren’t dating yet.</p><p> </p><p>Class was winding down for the day when Alix and Nathaniel came up to her desk. “Hey Mari, there’s a new exhibit at the museum on art from Gotham City. Nath and I were going to check it out before it opens tomorrow. Want to come along? I’m pretty sure there are some fashion pieces included.”</p><p> </p><p>Marinette looked down to Adrien. They had planned on spending the afternoon watching movies until he had to go home. She must have hesitated a little too long, because Nathaniel chimed in. “Adrien can come along, too.” The model nodded. “I’m okay with it if you are. It’ll be neat to see the exhibit before it’s public.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s fine with me,” Marinette agreed, gathering her things. “Who else will be there?”</p><p> </p><p>As they walked through the courtyard, Adrien texted his driver while Alix texted her father. “It looks like my dad, Jalil, a consultant who works with the museum on ancient Greece, and the donor who’s funding the whole thing. Maybe we’ll meet him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe we will,” Marinette said with a smile to herself. She would bet the Miracle Box that the “donor” was her Uncle Bruce. Nobody knew about her godfather besides the fact that he was from America and visited every once in a while. She never really saw the point. She wanted to earn her connections, not have people suck up to her hoping to get close to one of the richest men in the world.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The group made easy conversation as they made their way through the museum toward the exhibit hall.</p><p>While his talents were in music as opposed to the visual arts like the other three, Adrien’s home education left him with enough of an understanding that he could contribute to the discussion.</p><p> </p><p>As they turned the final corner, Marinette let out a gasp and broke into a run. A man and a woman were talking to the Kubdels. “Uncle Bruce!” she yelled as she wrapped the taller man in a hug.</p><p> </p><p>“Bluebell!” The man spun her around. “It’s so good to see you. Would your parents mind one more for dinner tonight?”</p><p> </p><p>“You know you’re always welcome.” She turned back to her friends. Adrien and Alix stood frozen with identical expressions of shock on their faces. Nathaniel just looked confused. “Oops,” she said with a giggle. “I think we broke them. Bruce, these are my friends. Alix Kubdel, Adrien Agreste, and Nathaniel Kurtzburg. Guys, this is my godfather, Bruce Wayne.”</p><p> </p><p>Bruce walked over to the group and exchanged handshakes with the three teens. “Miss Kubdel, Mr. Agreste, nice to see you again. Mr. Kurtzburg, pleased to meet you.” He turned to the approaching woman. “Diana, this my goddaughter, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, along with Adrien Agreste, Nathaniel..Kurtzburg, wasn’t it?” At the redhead’s nod, he continued, “and I’m sure you remember Alix. This is my friend, Diana Prince.”</p><p> </p><p>As Diana offered her greetings, a dark shadow passed over the museum. The Parisians looked up and groaned at the massive flock of pigeons flying overhead. Marinette made a strangled excuse of needing the bathroom and bolted. They never noticed Adrien sneaking off.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s going on?” Bruce asked. The large numbers of pigeons didn’t seem like a natural occurrence.</p><p>Alix explained for the group. “It’s probably just Mr. Pigeon. There’s a guy out there called Hawkmoth who makes akumas. He latches on to someone’s negative emotions and turns them into a supervillain. Mr. Pigeon is a frequent target. Fortunately, he’s pretty harmless, but some of them can be scary.”</p><p> </p><p>“But who stops them?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ladybug and Chat Noir. Hawkmoth wants their miraculouses for some reason.” That got Diana’s attention. The Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses in action?</p><p> </p><p>The older Kubdels didn’t seem bothered by the attack and the young boy pulled out a sketchbook and began to draw. The two Americans huddled around as Alix pulled up a stream of the fight on her phone. “They figured out pretty early on that it might not be a good idea for someone with superpowers or serious training to get akumatized, so the mayor has kept information from spreading beyond the city.”</p><p> </p><p>Bruce and Diana whispered to each other during the short battle. It was obvious neither of the young heroes had what they would call actual training, though from the way he used his staff, the Cat seemed to have some knowledge of fencing or maybe kendo. Both older heroes were impressed at how well they worked together, though. The fight only lasted about five minutes before the ladybug swarms spread across the city.</p><p> </p><p>As Alix took her phone back, the other two moved to a corner for another hushed discussion. “Bruce, my mother held the Ladybug long ago. Honor demands I help them however I can.”</p><p> </p><p>“I agree. They need help, but we need a solid plan. They’re right. Imagine if I got corrupted, or even Clark. Even if we just provide intel support from afar, we’ll figure something out.” They were pulled out of their conversation by a returning Marinette talking to someone on the phone.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure? Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you, too. Bye.” She looked up to see the amusement on the onlookers’ faces. “Adrien’s father wants him home. What did I miss?” She asked hoping to deflect any questions. Fortunately, Mr. Kubdel bailed her out by starting the tour.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“’I love you, too,’ huh?” Bruce asked on the ride to the bakery. Marinette tried to hide her blush. “Can it wait? It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it, but I think we need to have a more important conversation first.”</p><p> </p><p>Bruce took a deep breath as the car pulled up outside. “So, you know.” It wasn’t a question, just a calm statement of fact.</p><p> </p><p>“I have a pretty good idea. Maman and Papa warned me that I might be surprised by the results. They didn’t say who my father could be, but that they had a fling at a baking convention in America. They met you at a baking convention in America less than a year before I was born. It’s not too hard to connect the dots.”</p><p> </p><p>The smells of cooking food filled the air as they entered the apartment. “Maman, Papa! Guess who I ran into!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Marinette was thankful the dinner conversation was limited to current events and the ins and outs of running a business. Until Tom brought out the coffee and opera cake, anyway.</p><p> </p><p>“So, Bruce, how many kids are you up to now?” Leave it to Tom to make important dinners awkward.</p><p> </p><p>“Officially? Five sons and two daughters. Another young woman has her own room at the manor with as much time as she spends there.” Bruce gave an awkward cough. “A few weeks ago, I got an alert through a lab I own here in Paris. It turns out I have another child.” He got up and pulled an envelope out of his jacket. “There is a 99.9 percent chance one Marinette Dupain-Cheng is my biological daughter.”</p><p> </p><p>“So what happens now?” Sabine asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing has to change,” Bruce looked around the table. “Tom, Sabine, you’ve done a fine job raising Marinette, and built a wonderful family. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that by doing something stupid like fighting you for custody.” He turned his focus to Marinette. “Bluebell, I know you have a life and friends here in Paris, and I don’t want to get in the way of that. I would like to invite you to Gotham when you have a free week or two, so you can meet your siblings, if it’s alright with your parents.”</p><p> </p><p>Marinette looked at her parents to see them nodding at her. “I have a school break in a couple of weeks. I think I’d like that.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi.  Long time, no update.  I have good news and bad news.  The good news is I found the urge to write again.  There were some games in my backlog I wanted to play, and work burnout was getting to me.  I did spend some time researching Batfam members and at least one extra character Adrien will be familiar with. ;)</p><p>Now for the bad news.  I'll write when I can, but I'm not making any promises for quick chapters.  This week, my dad is having the first of hopefully three major surgeries this year, and won't be able to work on his farm for the foreseeable future.  I'll probably be spending most weekends helping my mom with things she can't handle by herself.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Everything I know about the modern Batfam, I picked up from other fics.  I always avoided Maribat crossovers, because they tended to be salty enough that Mormons will try to settle by them.  Especially to Adrien because of his advice.  And I'm Adrienette trash at heart.  That being said, I found some where they get support from other heroes, and I really liked those.  Then as I was reading for inspiration, I found the Bio Dad Bruce Wayne stuff, and that provided inspiration, just not what I was looking for.</p>
<p>I'll get back to my other fic when I get that inspiration, but the way I went about it was unsustainable.  I pounded out an outline and eight chapters in a single weekend and got burnt out.  Then I thought "Hey, I have a backlog, that will give me plenty of time to write more."  This one will have a better writing pace, but I'll post as I go instead.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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